He’s a graduating senior from Colton High School, but for him, there’s more to it.

Garcia, 18, is celebrating his perfect attendance. He has not missed a day of school since he started.

“For some students this might have been a tough task, but not for Eric,” his mother, Theresa Garcia wrote in an email. “Education has always been a priority with him. Not once in his 13 years has he ever been absent due to illness, vacations or unexpected obstacles that presented themselves throughout his life.”

Staying home from school was not an option for him.

“If there was no fever, serious injury or broken bones he never gave it a second thought,” Theresa Garcia wrote.

In junior high school Eric was hospitalized for three days with mastoiditis, which is a serious infection of the mastoid bone of the skull. If untreated it can result in death. Luckily for Eric he was on summer vacation.

The following year he became ill again and had to be rushed back to the hospital for treatment.

This time Eric was in school. He was to be admitted into the hospital but he was not happy with that. He knew it would ruin his perfect attendance.

Eric had to do some serious pleading with the emergency room doctors and they eventually allowed him to leave with heavy antibiotics under the condition that if it got any worse he would return to the hospital. He was able to return back to school the following day, his mother wrote.

Perfect attendance became a challenge for Eric.

Eric is proud of what he has accomplished. His parents, Theresa and Rene Garcia, as well as the rest of his family are also proud.

Eric plans to attend college to further his education. He plans on taking classes to become a Power Lineman.